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Wind rotor installed on ship – Additional propulsion system should reduce fuel consumption on the sea

Leer, 23 April 2021 | During the docking of the multi-purpose freighter MS “Annika Braren”, the latest addition to the Rörd Braren ship management fleet, a wind assistance rotor sailing system was installed by Eco Flettner company in Leer.

The planning of the shipbuilding measures and the construction of the new rotor for the 86 m long and 15 m wide ship with a load capacity of 5 035 tdw took twelve months to complete.

The new rotor cylinder measures 18 m in height and 3 m in diameter. Large end plates with a diameter of 6 m are installed at the top and bottom of the cylinder. The “sailing machine” weighs approx. 27 t.

The Braren shipping company is taking part in the EU project WASP (Wind Assisted Ship Propulsion) by retrofitting the “Annika Braren”. It is financed through an “Interreg” program for the North Sea region.

“We are very pleased that the rotor is ready for on-board use and look forward to many more installations of our rotors in the future,” explains Ralf Oltmanns, Managing Director of Eco Flettner GmbH.

The managing director of Rörd Braren Bereederung, Anna Braren, adds: “This is an important project for our company and we are very proud that the ship is starting its maiden voyage with wind support.”

Picture: Stadtwerke Leer

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Michael de Reese confirmed in office as Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Seaports of Niedersachsen GmbH

Michael de Reese confirmed in office as Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Seaports of Niedersachsen GmbH

Oldenburg, 26 November 2025 | For almost 30 years, the port industry and the Lower Saxony Ministry of Economic Affairs have been working together to effectively strengthen the visibility of Lower Saxony’s seaports in business, politics, and the public. This is evident, among other things, in the successful work of their joint marketing company, Seaports of Niedersachsen GmbH, whose supervisory board has now been newly constituted. Additional committees have also been elected.

Michael de Reese, CEO of Rhenus Port Logistics, has once again been appointed Chairman of the Supervisory Board. His deputy continues to be Uwe Jacob, Head of Division at the Lower Saxony Ministry of Economic Affairs. The other elected members of the Supervisory Board are Jan Müller, CEO of J. Müller SE; Captain Arne Ehlers, Chairman of the Cuxhaven Port Industry Association (Hafenwirtschaftsgemeinschaft Cuxhaven e.V.); Jan Remmers, Managing Director of Anker Schifffahrts-Gesellschaft mbH; Kersten Mittwollen, Head of Department at the Economic Development Agency of the City of Oldenburg; and Andreas Bullwinkel, President of the Wilhelmshaven Port Industry Association (Wilhelmshavener Hafenwirtschafts-Vereinigung e.V.).

“The Supervisory Board of Seaports of Niedersachsen GmbH brings together substantial expertise and diverse perspectives from operational work, which we will jointly use, together with our Managing Director, to systematically advance our port marketing company and its activities. I am very much looking forward to continuing our future collaboration in this committee,” said Michael de Reese.

For more than 20 years, Seaports of Niedersachsen GmbH, headquartered in Oldenburg and funded as a public-private partnership by the State of Lower Saxony and the private port industry, has been consolidating the professional marketing of all Lower Saxony seaports. Seaports, as an established umbrella brand, represents the full range of services offered by the “Universal Port of Lower Saxony,” which includes handling and logistics services for all types of goods as well as product-related value-added services. The port marketing company provides information on current developments at the seaport locations and creates platforms worldwide to connect the port industry with its customers, enabling successful positioning in international competition.

The Working Group of Lower Saxony Seaports, which serves as the political voice of the port industry, has also held new elections. Here too, Michael de Reese was confirmed as spokesperson, and Jan Müller was once again appointed deputy spokesperson.

Image: Rhenus

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Uniper starts construction of the PV project “Voslapper Groden” in Wilhelmshaven

Uniper starts construction of the PV project “Voslapper Groden” in Wilhelmshaven

Uniper has begun construction of the “Voslapper Groden” photovoltaic project in Wilhelmshaven. After receiving the building permit from the responsible building authority on October 30, 2025, construction work on the ash landfill of the former coal-fired power plant was able to start. The substructure will first be anchored in the landfill body, followed by module installation starting in mid-November.

The project involves installing around 28,500 solar modules on an area of roughly 14 hectares. With a capacity of around 17 MWp, the plant will generate up to 17,500 MWh of renewable electricity per year—enough to supply approximately 4,500 households. Commissioning is planned for July 2026.

“The solar project in Wilhelmshaven shows how we can make meaningful use of existing infrastructure for the energy transition and strengthen Wilhelmshaven as a location for renewable energy. With the granted building permit, we were able to begin construction and start the next project phase,” explains Hussein Fahmy, Project Manager for Renewable Energy at Uniper.

Image: Uniper

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Michael de Reese confirmed in office as Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Seaports of Niedersachsen GmbH

Michael de Reese confirmed in office as Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Seaports of Niedersachsen GmbH

Oldenburg, 26 November 2025 | For almost 30 years, the port industry and the Lower Saxony Ministry of Economic Affairs have been working together to effectively strengthen the visibility of Lower Saxony’s seaports in business, politics, and the public. This is evident, among other things, in the successful work of their joint marketing company, Seaports of Niedersachsen GmbH, whose supervisory board has now been newly constituted. Additional committees have also been elected.

Michael de Reese, CEO of Rhenus Port Logistics, has once again been appointed Chairman of the Supervisory Board. His deputy continues to be Uwe Jacob, Head of Division at the Lower Saxony Ministry of Economic Affairs. The other elected members of the Supervisory Board are Jan Müller, CEO of J. Müller SE; Captain Arne Ehlers, Chairman of the Cuxhaven Port Industry Association (Hafenwirtschaftsgemeinschaft Cuxhaven e.V.); Jan Remmers, Managing Director of Anker Schifffahrts-Gesellschaft mbH; Kersten Mittwollen, Head of Department at the Economic Development Agency of the City of Oldenburg; and Andreas Bullwinkel, President of the Wilhelmshaven Port Industry Association (Wilhelmshavener Hafenwirtschafts-Vereinigung e.V.).

“The Supervisory Board of Seaports of Niedersachsen GmbH brings together substantial expertise and diverse perspectives from operational work, which we will jointly use, together with our Managing Director, to systematically advance our port marketing company and its activities. I am very much looking forward to continuing our future collaboration in this committee,” said Michael de Reese.

For more than 20 years, Seaports of Niedersachsen GmbH, headquartered in Oldenburg and funded as a public-private partnership by the State of Lower Saxony and the private port industry, has been consolidating the professional marketing of all Lower Saxony seaports. Seaports, as an established umbrella brand, represents the full range of services offered by the “Universal Port of Lower Saxony,” which includes handling and logistics services for all types of goods as well as product-related value-added services. The port marketing company provides information on current developments at the seaport locations and creates platforms worldwide to connect the port industry with its customers, enabling successful positioning in international competition.

The Working Group of Lower Saxony Seaports, which serves as the political voice of the port industry, has also held new elections. Here too, Michael de Reese was confirmed as spokesperson, and Jan Müller was once again appointed deputy spokesperson.

Image: Rhenus

read more
Uniper starts construction of the PV project “Voslapper Groden” in Wilhelmshaven

Uniper starts construction of the PV project “Voslapper Groden” in Wilhelmshaven

Uniper has begun construction of the “Voslapper Groden” photovoltaic project in Wilhelmshaven. After receiving the building permit from the responsible building authority on October 30, 2025, construction work on the ash landfill of the former coal-fired power plant was able to start. The substructure will first be anchored in the landfill body, followed by module installation starting in mid-November.

The project involves installing around 28,500 solar modules on an area of roughly 14 hectares. With a capacity of around 17 MWp, the plant will generate up to 17,500 MWh of renewable electricity per year—enough to supply approximately 4,500 households. Commissioning is planned for July 2026.

“The solar project in Wilhelmshaven shows how we can make meaningful use of existing infrastructure for the energy transition and strengthen Wilhelmshaven as a location for renewable energy. With the granted building permit, we were able to begin construction and start the next project phase,” explains Hussein Fahmy, Project Manager for Renewable Energy at Uniper.

Image: Uniper

read more
Joint Agenda for Port Investments

Joint Agenda for Port Investments

BREMEN. The Weser Day 2025, which took place in late September, focussed on the joint investment agenda under the guiding theme of “Investments in Bremen and Lower Saxony’s seaports – cooperation between the public and private sectors”.

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